Cracking eggs for Easter

The chic Mayfair chocolate shop has come up with a rather eccentric egg, with a glittery surface decorated with a chocolate medallion embossed with the face of a Roman emperor and three little white marzipan rosettes, all nestled in a straw nest. The milk chocolate is rich and silky with a bit of a spicy edge, but it’s disappointing to find
nothing inside. £30 www.cocomaya.co.uk

INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS EGG, LA MAISON DU CHOCOLAT

The luxury chocolatier has produced something of a curate’s Easter egg: while some loved its smooth elegance and complex tastes, others found it waxy, lacking sweetness and too clever by half. The smallest egg, in our selection, the thin chocolate has some deep berry flavours but isn’t to all tastes. The mini eggs and dark chocolate fishes hidden within were lovely. £11 www.lamaisonduchocolat.com

DARK CHOCOLATE EASTER EGG, PRESTAT

Can an Easter egg be sexy? Prestat’s comes close. With the pretty-in-pink playfulness of its box and the gold-wrapped egg tied with a pink bow, you half expect to find some racey Agent Provocateur lingerie inside rather than truffles. The egg hits top marks on all fronts. The tortoiseshell-textured dark chocolate shell is rich, velvety and wonderful with plenty of depth, and the mottled truffles inside are pure, deluxe indulgence. Easily the best of the bunch, and a little bit naughty with it. £22
www.prestat.co.uk

SEA SALTED CARAMEL EGG, PAUL A YOUNG

The master chocalatier’s egg is charm itself to look at, sitting in an elegant egg-cup holder with a stylish porcelain spoon. To eat, this cute little egg hatches into something of supreme decadence, filled as it is with sumptuous chocolate caramel that oozes out as you open it. The thick chocolate shell tastes glorious, and even if doing battle with this egg will finish you off for the day, it’s worth it. £17.95 www.paulayoung.co.uk

CHOCOLATIER MILK CHOCOLATE, EGG, HARRODS

The packaging, in a classy brown box embossed and lined with gold, is pretty impressive, but the egg inside doesn’t match it. It’s a big egg, but the dark chocolate is desperately bland – the unpleasant, gritty aftertaste makes more impact. The champagne truffles within are too boozy and sharp to be enjoyable. A let down from a foodie institution.
£34.95
www.harrods.com

FORTNUM & MASON SUPERB DARK CHOCOLATE EGG (SILVER)

In a box conceived by accessories designer Lulu Guinness and wrapped in a huge bow, Fortnum’s large dark chocolate egg promises much and delivers pretty well. The chocolate is smooth, silky and subtle, though could perhaps take a little more sweetness. There’s an appealing selection of handmade chocolate truffles inside to work your way through.
£30
www.fortnumandmason.com

DARK CHOCOLATE TOPPED EGG, MARKS & SPENCER

They’re hardly the height of chic, but we like the fun look of M&S’s selection of Easter eggs, with generous dollops of white and dark chocolate dripping down the sides. The dark chocolate number has pieces of nut mixed into the chocolate, giving it a nice crunch, but there’s a big disappointment in store – the eggs are empty. There’s easily room for a few goodies inside. £5.99
www.marksandspencer.com